Director, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)

Who We Are

The Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), founded in 1991, is an international climate organization with a mission to create equitable, climate change solutions around the world. We do this by forming collaborative, people-focused partnerships that support communities disproportionately impacted by the global climate crisis. For more than 30 years, ISC has utilized a unique, bottom-up approach to ensure solutions emerge from within communities, rather than being imposed from the outside. Our projects focus on disinvested communities throughout the world, with specific attention paid to the impact systemic racism and gender inequity have had in communities, workforces, and industrial sectors as they move toward a just transition.

Through a deep understanding of and commitment to communities that are the least likely to cause global climate change yet face the highest impacts, ISC develops creative and inclusive solutions, demonstrated in our work in the US and across Asia in China, India, the Mekong, and Bangladesh. We seek resiliency for our partners and the communities in which they lead. We actively partner with frontline organizations, subnational governments, and the private sector to co-create programs that support disinvested communities, women, and people experiencing poverty who comprise the global majority. ISC remains cognizant of communities' varying needs, and we tailor our approach to support those needs. We believe equity and inclusion are fundamental to building healthy, prosperous, and peaceful communities and are committed to furthering equitable climate action. Learn more at sustain.org.

What You’ll Do:

The Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) is a core member of ISC’s Finance & Operations team. This role will be responsible for leading and finalizing our newly created organization-wide impact framework, as well as developing monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems that include appropriate indicators, baseline data, targets, and evaluate plans to lead the MEL team in producing timely, accurate, and complete reporting. The Director will provide strategy and technical guidance for all MEL-related systems, processes, analysis, and reporting within ISC’s program portfolio. They will also oversee the creation, implementation, and strategic and purposeful use of in-house data collection tools and data management systems to track and evaluate MEL indicators across the organization. The Director will promote a culture of learning and adaptation within ISC, facilitating training and mentoring in evaluation, data collection, and analysis to drive organizational learning and innovation. The Director will work closely with ISC’s Business Development and Program Departments to properly set targets and achieve the organization's and program goals. This role requires a lens for MEL strategy complemented by a strong understanding of MEL frameworks and reporting techniques to provide valuable insights and recommendations.

• Design and implement an organization-wide MEL impact framework, including the theory of change, indicators list, tools and instruments, data collection, documentation, and reporting mechanisms as needed.
• Develop and lead ISC’s MEL strategy, and the setting and tracking of organizational and project-based Impact KPIs, including strategic guidance on MEL systems, data collection, and analysis processes across the organization.
• Oversee the production of impact deliverables, such as an annual ISC impact report, project-based baseline, mid-term, and final reports, board reporting, and dashboards.
• Ensure systematic reporting of MEL data across ISC’s program portfolio and laddering up to our larger theory of change.
• Oversee a team of data analysts and project-based MEL personnel, providing real-time tracking and coordination to ensure that ISC meets its project targets and organization-wide KPIs.

What You’ll Bring

• A minimum of ten years of professional experience in MEL, including three to five years of experience in a leadership or supervisory role.
• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is required.
• Experience designing and implementing MEL frameworks at a strategic level, including interpreting impact data to inform strategic and project-level decisions, developing indicators, data collection tools, data management processes, as well as project and change management.
• Demonstrated ability to manage teams, foster collaboration, and build capacity in MEL practices.
• Strong experience in strategic planning approaches, including the logical framework approach is required.
• International work experience, work in climate and/or environment sectors.
• Proficiency in relevant software tools for data analysis and visualization MEL tools is desired
• Effective communication skills, including the ability to present complex data and findings to diverse audiences clearly and compellingly.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a remote environment.
• Commitment to ISC’s mission and values, with a passion for promoting social impact and positive change.

What We Offer

• The salary range for this role is $125,848- $157,309. We identify where the candidate falls within this range, based on many factors including experience and qualifications.
• A friendly, open work environment, excellent benefits and the opportunity to make a difference in communities around the world.
• Benefits for eligible US-based staff include:
• Medical Plan with HRA
• Dental & Vision plan, 100% paid for employee and family members
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• 403b Retirement Plan, with an automatic 2% ISC contribution and up to 4% matching contribution
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Life, AD&D, Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Casual and Flexible Work Environment
• Appreciation of Work-Life Balance
• Employee Assistance Program

• A friendly, open work environment, excellent benefits and the opportunity to make a difference in communities around the world.
• Benefits for eligible US-based staff include:
• Medical Plan with HRA
• Dental & Vision plan, 100% paid for employee and family members
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• 403b Retirement Plan, with an automatic 2% ISC contribution and up to 4% matching contribution
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Life, AD&D, Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Casual and Flexible Work Environment
• Appreciation of Work-Life Balance
• Employee Assistance Program